Sticks and Stones
by epiphany2
Summary: Underneath the cold exterior lies someone who is struggling to keep himself together, with no one left but those who will unknowingly pull him apart. Yugi-tachi will never understand Seto Kaiba, or how much words can hurt a person...


Sticks and Stones 

epiphany

chapter 1 the****price to pay

I don't own Yugioh, obviously. Fan_fiction_, anyone? You've heard them all, move along… ^_^;

            | note

This is a monologue of sorts that takes place when Seto has just entered Pegasus' castle after he defeated Yugi. Yes, going back to the Duel Monsters Championship Arc instead of good ol' Battle City.

And this is currently un-betaed**. ** I am beta-less. How sad… 

Feel free to critique whatever way you want. No flames, though, please. Any flames will cease to exist after I've read them…

            | key

Seto's Thoughts 

People Speaking in Flashbacks

**_Emphasis _**__

Actions in Real Time 

**What do you have at the end of the day, Seto Kaiba? Tell me!_ Tell me!_**

… all i deserve … 

Do they realize how much it hurts?

Yes. Of course. The taunting, the jeering… it's meant to hurt.

Get over it. 

_He mentally scolds himself, walking through the corridors with his usual brisk, long stride and his head held high. _

_Always with his head held high._

The members of the Kaiba family, adopted or not, never reveal weakness. Ever.

Steel. I've worked with cold, stainless steel all my life--in broad wings of makeshift model airplanes, the briefcase I've carried since I was barely eleven, the cold, even metalwork of my newest technology. 

I've been around steel so much, seen it so much… maybe she **_is_** right. Maybe I've lost my humanity to my machines… 

… but that was the point.

You can laugh from your grave, Kaiba Gozaburo. 

You've succeeded.

You will be like steel. A mold of perfection to become my heir. 

Emotionless, unable to be manipulated. Strong. 

You will be smooth, you will be cold, you will be a tool. 

My tool. 

First lesson. 

The lesson that has hurt the most. 

_He is walking faster, cobalt irises are dulled and cloudy, a premonition of things to come. His footsteps are lofty but loud in the silence, dulled to his ears and his thoughts. But even he, lost in his thoughts as he is, can detect no traces of another walking through the halls. Even the guards._

_No one has made it so far yet._

_He is ahead of the game._

_As always._

I can still hear Yugi. 

Slightly. 

He's faded and far away, like a memory in the back of my mind. Pressing against it, a reminder, like my constant migraines.

But that's all done. 

I can forget about it.

_A slight emotion flashes on his face._

_Regret._

Can the emotionless feel regret? 

My past is done and over with. That doesn't mean it will go away.

That doesn't mean I will ever forget.

_Images flash in his mind as he continues his walking. _

Yugi's tears. Blue lightning, crushing the nemesis opposite it: the messenger of the master. The King of Games, dropping to the floor in misery and defeat…

He will find a way. He will always find a way.

He has his friends…

His fists are clenched tighter, his knuckles white from clutching at the briefcase whose color is dimmer in the shadows. Pressure builds in his head, but he is too lost to notice it.

It will be a nuisance during the duel…

I have nothing. 

Nothing at all…

What do you have at the end of the day, Seto Kaiba? Tell me! _Tell me!_

I have nothing.

Are you happy?

Something tells me that you will be…

Yugi's sobs are softer, now, and his ears strain to hear it even through his preoccupying thoughts and memories.

Something tells me those tears are those of remorse, Mutou. 

But why feel remorse for some… **_thing?_**

You appeared rather sure when you sent the Celtic Guardian to end me.

Celtic Guardian, attack! 

Sticks and stones will break my bones, but words will never hurt me. 

But I've always been an exception to many things.

I have braved sticks, stones, whips, belts, fire and ice.

I've come out from leaping off a cliff without any bruises…

… or broken bones.

But… 

Don't worry about Yugi. He'll beat Kaiba, he did it before! Even without Exodia!

Crush him, Yugi!

Beat that loser!

Go, Yugi!!

_A strange, tiny laugh. Mirthless, like he has realized something that is not amusing at all._

Congratulations, Yugi-tachi. You have done the impossible.

… words will never hurt me … 

They have.

Yours have.

But… you will never know. 

I miss you, big brother… 

_Failure!_ Get up, now! 

Yugi!!!

Crush Yugi in an utterly humiliating defeat, and only then will you have a chance to duel _me_. 

The Creator of Duel Monsters… unbeatable… he can predict your every move before you can make it… 

I know I'm walking straight into fate. And fate has always turned against me in so many ways…

But I'm not afraid.

The emotionless cannot be afraid.

STAND UP! YOU _WILL_ TRY AGAIN AND GET IT PERFECT! 

Steel feels nothing…

… **_I_** feel nothing.

We'll first work on these emotions you have. Unpack, and lessons will begin. All things come with a price to pay, Seto. You will learn this. 

I've learned. 

_A hollow laugh barely echoes through the corridor and stops at a steel door. He stares apathetically at the doorway for a moment, the remnants of the mirthless laugh flowing through his mind like a spider spinning delicate webs. _

_Long, spindly fingers used to pressing keys, shuffling decks, signing papers, and moving chess pieces gently presses at the necklace at the base of his neck, and it is pushed out of sight, but not of mind. _

_He pushes, and the door opens accordingly and lets light stream into the shadowed hall. He steps into it, out of the darkness._

"I challenge Pegasus for my brother's soul. 

I am Seto Kaiba."

_Sticks and stones will break my bones, but words will never hurt me._

| fin

| last minute notes - who's speaking in flashbacks

1. Gozaburo speaking.

2. Gozaburo as well.

3. Anzu, after Yugi's defeat.

4. Yami, sending the Celtic Guardian to finish Seto off in the same episode.

5. Yugi-tachi cheering him [Yugi] on. I didn't get to quote them exactly, but this is the gist of it… I think :-/ They said some awful stuff I can't seem to remember…

6. Mokuba, in pretty much the same episode as the others. When Seto's having flashbacks to when they were younger and he promises to always look after him… Mokuba wiping away tears in combination with this line :-/ 

7. Gozaburo. Gee, he pops up a lot…

8. Anzu's cry to Yugi when Yami threatens Seto's life by commanding the Celtic Guardian to attack…

9. Pegasus's speech after he takes Mokuba's soul in front of Seto.

10. Not quoted. Bahh. I can't remember what Seto said to Yugi after he told Yugi-tachi about Pegasus sending Sam (the little kid) to finish off Bandit Keith in the finals of some Duel Monsters competition. So I made it up… there's the product. or it could be someone who just lost to Pegasus telling Seto about the experience, if you can't take that quote coming from Seto's mouth…

11. Gozaburo, yelling at Seto in one of his lessons. Poor little Seto… 

12. Ahh. Gozaburo's welcome speech to Seto about his lessons when he moves into the Kaiba Mansion with Mokuba.

Yay. Now hopefully that might clear up some confusion. 

Review? *hopeful smile?*


End file.
